Ingredients

SERVES8

ACTIVE TIME:20 MIN START TO FINISH:1 1/2 HR

APRIL 2009

This handsome roast elicited oohs and aahs in the test kitchen when Ruggiero pulled it out of the oven, and the succulent meat disappeared in a flurry of forks. The rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory sprigs on which the pork loin roasts infuse the meat and mingle with its mustard and shallot cloak. The luscious sauce is argument enough for keeping a bottle of dry vermouth on hand.

View more of our favorite recipes from this issue.

FOR PORK

1 (4- to 4 1/2 lb) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

6 rosemary sprigs, divided

8 large thyme sprigs, divided

8 sage sprigs, divided

8 savory sprigs (optional), divided

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (4 to 5)

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

FOR SAUCE

1/3 cup dry vermouth

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Advertisements

Preparation

ROAST PORK:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Pat pork dry and season with 1 3/4 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp pepper. Straddle a flameproof roasting pan over 2 burners, then heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown pork on all sides, then transfer to a large plate.
Put a metal rack in pan and arrange half of herbs down middle of rack. Stir together shallots, garlic, mustard, and 1 Tbsp oil and smear over top and sides of roast, then put roast, fat side up, on top of herbs. Roast 1 hour. Toss remaining herbs with remaining tsp oil and arrange on top of roast.
Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 to 145°F, 5 to 15 minutes more (temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees as it rests). Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 25 minutes.
MAKE SAUCE WHILE PORK RESTS:
Remove rack from pan and discard herbs from rack. Straddle pan across 2 burners on medium heat. Add vermouth and mustard and deglaze by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half. Add broth and simmer 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-cup measure. If you have more than 1 1/2 cups, boil to reduce; if less, add water.
Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Whisk in vermouth mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Serve pork with sauce.